diff --git a/music21/scale/scala/__init__.py b/music21/scale/scala/__init__.py
index f16122454..a937287f2 100644
--- a/music21/scale/scala/__init__.py
+++ b/music21/scale/scala/__init__.py
@@ -288,10 +288,12 @@ def parse(self) -> None:
                     self.description = line
             elif count == 2:
                 if line != '':
-                    self.pitchCount = int(line)
+                    # only the first token is data; the format ignores any
+                    # trailing characters, so a comment can follow the value
+                    self.pitchCount = int(line.split()[0])
             else:  # remaining counts are pitches
                 if line != '':
-                    sp = ScalaPitch(line)
+                    sp = ScalaPitch(line.split()[0])
                     sp.parse()
                     self.pitchValues.append(sp)
 
@@ -744,6 +746,57 @@ def testScalaFileA(self) -> None:
                           '<music21.interval.Interval m2 (+50c)>',
                           '<music21.interval.Interval m3>'])
 
+    def testCommentAfterAPitchValue(self) -> None:
+        # noinspection SpellCheckingInspection
+        msg = r'''! commented.scl
+!
+A scale whose values carry trailing comments
+ 3
+!
+ 10/9  ! A\  ;  8 |mi|la|re|
+ 454.75 (427)
+ 2/1 ! octave
+'''
+        ss = ScalaData(msg)
+        ss.parse()
+        self.assertEqual(ss.pitchCount, 3)
+        self.assertEqual(len(ss.pitchValues), 3)
+        self.assertEqual([f'{x.cents:.5f}' for x in ss.pitchValues],
+                         ['182.40371', '454.75000', '1200.00000'])
+
+        # two bundled files the old parser read without raising, and got
+        # wrong: the comment's digits were appended to the value
+        newton = parse('newton_15_out_of_53')
+        assert newton is not None
+        self.assertEqual(newton.pitchValues[0].src, '10/9')
+        self.assertEqual(f'{newton.pitchValues[0].cents:.5f}', '182.40371')
+
+        loops = parse('sparschuh-jsbloops440')
+        assert loops is not None
+        self.assertEqual(loops.pitchValues[8].src, '1760/1055')
+        self.assertEqual(f'{loops.pitchValues[8].cents:.5f}', '885.99892')
+
+    def testEveryBundledScalaFileParses(self) -> None:
+        # a guard on the archive itself: a file added or edited upstream that
+        # this parser cannot read should fail here rather than at the point
+        # some scale is asked for. The description line is not checked, as the
+        # format allows it to be empty.
+        paths = getPaths()
+        self.assertGreater(len(paths), 3000)
+        for fp in paths:
+            sf = ScalaFile()
+            sf.open(fp)
+            try:
+                ss = sf.read()
+            finally:
+                sf.close()
+            self.assertIsNotNone(ss.pitchCount, fp)
+            self.assertEqual(len(ss.pitchValues), ss.pitchCount, fp)
+            for sp in ss.pitchValues:
+                self.assertIsNotNone(sp.cents, f'{fp}: {sp.src!r}')
+                self.assertTrue(math.isfinite(t.cast(float, sp.cents)),
+                                f'{fp}: {sp.src!r}')
+
 
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # define presented order in documentation